What is a ghost?
I don’t know. Seiji tilts his head just slightly, surprised, and listens, his eyes on her face, as Kiada begins to explain. He does not understand it all. This talk of gods and portals, apocalypse, chaos… He tries to picture Kiada at the heart of this, Kiada with knives in hand, a bloody smile on her lips. Seiji is a little saddened to find he can — it comes easily. The darkness is there, jagged and dark, reaching out of her expression from time to time. He does not fear it, but it saddens him. To think of the guilt she must carry, the tragedy of losing not once but twice.
Seiji makes no comment on the other aspects of her story. Privately, he wonders if he could have changed things. Opened the door for this Ru’in, whoever he was. But Seiji cannot be sure even that Ru’in had the chance to knock. He cannot say which of the many sounds from outside were real, and which were merely tricks. Nightmares. Demons, grinning and laying in wait. He shakes his head. “I’m glad you are safe.”
She should never have gone. Seiji will never say this, but he feels it deeply. Is Auni worth it? His gaze falls to the strange little deer. It is a lovely creature, its kind benevolent, and it will be useful next year. But worth it…?
“There are gods here,” Seiji says slowly, thoughtfully. “We could pray to them. For Ru’in. If you wanted to.” He could learn what sort of death rites exist in Caido — he needs to speak with the Loreseekers, anyway. “Not now,” he adds, “But when the weather is better and we’ve both rested. Longnight was… long” With a simper, Seiji brushes back dark hair from his forehead. He has no exciting stories to tell, but his nerves are nonetheless frayed, his soul worn thin by so terrible a darkness and such little sleep.
Seiji makes no comment on the other aspects of her story. Privately, he wonders if he could have changed things. Opened the door for this Ru’in, whoever he was. But Seiji cannot be sure even that Ru’in had the chance to knock. He cannot say which of the many sounds from outside were real, and which were merely tricks. Nightmares. Demons, grinning and laying in wait. He shakes his head. “I’m glad you are safe.”
She should never have gone. Seiji will never say this, but he feels it deeply. Is Auni worth it? His gaze falls to the strange little deer. It is a lovely creature, its kind benevolent, and it will be useful next year. But worth it…?
“There are gods here,” Seiji says slowly, thoughtfully. “We could pray to them. For Ru’in. If you wanted to.” He could learn what sort of death rites exist in Caido — he needs to speak with the Loreseekers, anyway. “Not now,” he adds, “But when the weather is better and we’ve both rested. Longnight was… long” With a simper, Seiji brushes back dark hair from his forehead. He has no exciting stories to tell, but his nerves are nonetheless frayed, his soul worn thin by so terrible a darkness and such little sleep.
Something dead that seems to be alive.
Something dead that doesn't know it's dead.
